Efficacy of Using Learning Communities To Improve Core Chemistry

In the Classroom

Efficacy of Using Learning Communities To Improve Core Chemistry Education and Increase Student Interest and Retention in Chemistry Wendy deProphetis Driscoll,* Maria Gelabert, and Nicholas Richardson Department of Physical Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York 10301 *[email protected]

How can colleges and universities improve upon undergraduate education in the physical sciences? How can we increase an interest in science for those who may have been intimidated by science in the past? Although institutions answer these questions in different ways, over the past few decades some schools have attempted to answer these questions through the use of interdisciplinary coursework and learning communities. Learning communities provide connections between disciplines in a supportive environment and allow students to participate in two or more linked courses in small groups. Undergraduate institutions that have incorporated learning communities in their curriculum have experienced positive effects from this approach (1-8). Learning communities have the potential to benefit both students and faculty at participating institutions. The use of learning communities could potentially be an effective method to improve undergraduate education and to boost retention (1-8, 13). Learning communities change the environment in which students master challenging material, providing greater support for students and increased opportunities to make intellectual connections across disciplines and beyond the classroom. Learning communities are more likely to pique and maintain student interest. This article describes how Wagner College uses learning communities in its curriculum and the changes observed within the chemistry major since their incorporation. We attribute the increase in the number of chemistry majors to the use of learning communities as well as other potential factors that are discussed below. Historical Background The term “learning community” originated with the establishment of the Experimental College at the University of Wisconsin in 1927. Founded by Alexander Meiklejohn, the institution introduced interdisciplinary learning with a focus on undergraduate education through civic engagement. Today, more than 500 colleges and universities use learning communities to enhance undergraduate education (3). Other learning communities have been described in this Journal (9-11). However, many focused on the ability to communicate through technology and the Internet rather than through interdisciplinary connections as described here. Core introductory science classes are often excluded from all the advantages that learning communities bring to the curriculum. Many models of learning communities seek to link two courses by altering the material covered in each course so that

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clear connections between the courses are established. Most introductory science classes within a major must cover extensive substantial material and maintain consistency across sections taught within and without learning communities. Removing even the smallest amount of material is met with stiff resistance from the faculty teaching those courses. Science courses are frequently incremental in knowledge; deficiencies in an earlier course become magnified in later courses. Few faculty members would willingly remove content to make time in a general chemistry course to show a documentary that examines science and public policy. This potential for deficiencies is one flaw that could arise in learning communities (12). Because of the pressure to cover prescribed material in courses for majors, the science classes within the learning communities tend to be those designed for nonscience majors. Students who know they are interested in science miss the advantages of having a course within their discipline taught as part of a learning community. The courses designed for nonscience majors taught within the learning communities do not expose students to science in an environment that may stimulate their interest in the subject and perhaps entice them to consider science as a career choice. With an increasing need for future scientists in the United States (13), linking core introductory science classes to other disciplines may be a useful tool to expose students to science in an environment that encourages rather than discourages them. But how do we achieve this goal? The SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) project and its participants address this issue through curriculum initiatives that enhance learning through interdisciplinary links, particularly to enhance science through civic engagement (14). Another method that we have found to be successful in achieving this goal is to use learning communities composed of three courses, as described below, rather than the more common and compromising model of two courses. Positive outcomes have been reported from the use of a similar model at Stonehill College for the second-year level (15). Incorporating Learning Communities in the Chemistry Curriculum Wagner College is a private, comprehensive institution in New York City, with an undergraduate population of approximately 1900 students. In 1998, Wagner College created the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, an innovative

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r 2009 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Vol. 87 No. 1 January 2010 10.1021/ed800021f Published on Web 12/18/2009

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Journal of Chemical Education

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In the Classroom

curriculum that emphasizes the use of learning communities. As part of the Wagner Plan, students are required to participate in three learning communities during the course of study: a firstyear learning community, an intermediate learning community, and a senior learning community. The Wagner Plan has strengthened student learning across general education and the discipline-based courses (16). The adoption of the Wagner Plan by the entire college provided the chemistry faculty the opportunity to strengthen the delivery of its courses, particularly those in the first-year curriculum, by introducing the students to college-level chemistry in a supportive environment that encourages students to consider chemistry as a major. First-year students at Wagner College participate in one of 22 learning communities offered just for them. A learning community comprises three classes: two traditionally offered by the college and a third, the reflective tutorial. The reflective tutorial, a writing intensive course, examines themes common to both classes and emphasizes writing, reading, critical thinking, and experiential learning. Since implementation of the Wagner Plan, freshman to sophomore retention rose from 68 to 90%. The Office of Admissions at Wagner College attributes much of this change in retention to the Wagner Plan. Other variables need to be considered as well and may be potential contributors, but other factors such as average SAT scores, average family income, and student population size have not changed as significantly in comparison to the retention rate in the same time period. Recent studies have provided evidence that learning communities do improve student achievement, involvement, retention, and satisfaction (2, 3). However, it is difficult to determine which characteristics of learning communities lead to these positive outcomes. Emerging Global Health Concerns is one of these first-year learning communities that contains three courses: General Chemistry I, Health and Society, and the reflective tutorial. Health and Society is a rigorous social sciences course where the students examine the impact of public health policy on communities and different forms of public health seen in other countries. All the students in the learning community, typically a group of 26, take both the General Chemistry I class with a faculty member in the physical sciences and the Health and Society class with a faculty member in the nursing department, while the reflective tutorial splits this group of students with each of the faculty members teaching half of the students. In addition, the faculty members in the reflective tutorial also act as the academic advisors for the students. By experiencing these three courses with the same students, sharing a common experiential learning component, the cohort of students come together to become a genuine community of learning, forming more supportive professional relationships, fellow students and the local community via the experiential learning component where the students work with such organizations as the Staten Island AIDS Taskforce or The Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals. The general chemistry course is unchanged from the general chemistry courses not offered within a learning community, and students receive the benefit of covering all of the content needed for the second general chemistry course. The connections between the courses that are essential to a successful learning community can be made within the reflective tutorial where the students focus on critical thinking, reading, and writing. The general chemistry course maintains all its substance while gaining 50


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Vol. 87 No. 1 January 2010

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the benefits of being taught within a more supportive environment to a broader audience of students who are challenged to reflect on how science connects to other forms of knowledge. In another learning community, I: Robot: Minds, Machines, and Human Beings, Wagner first-year students enroll in General Chemistry I, Medical Ethics, and a reflective tutorial. Medical ethics is an existing philosophy course that examines moral issues associated with the medical field and focuses on logic and critical thinking. Again, the two core courses are taught separately and are linked to one another through the reflective tutorial. The faculty members teaching within this community balance the benefits of teaching two small reflective tutorials for part of the semester and team teaching for the remainder of the time. The reflective tutorial uses the field of nanotechnology to link chemistry and ethics. The students discuss, read, and write about nanotechnology, how it relates to chemistry and medicine, and the risks and benefits associated with this new technology. The students participate in experiential learning in which they introduce the field of nanotechnology to the elderly in nursing homes, to K-12 educators in Teachers' Training Workshops at Liberty Science Center to demonstrate how to teach these topics in the grade-school classroom, and to politicians through letters. In the learning community entitled Clarifying Claims: Science, Nature, and Society, General Chemistry I has been linked with Microeconomics. The main theme of the reflective tutorial is the environment, with a special focus on economic conditions fostering environmental responsibility. The tutorial covers the relationships between ecology and development, current issues in ecological balance and limited resources, waste management, global warming, fresh water sources, sustainable development and deep ecology. The experiential component consisted primarily of community projects developed and implemented by the students and field trips to such locations as wastewater management facilities, landfills, and incinerators. The community projects have included campus-wide cleanups, education games, visits to local schools, development of Web sites on recycling and community gardens, and development of children's environmental activities for local events. Discussion Since the adoption of the Wagner Plan, the department has offered two general chemistry sections within a learning community each year. Following the inclusion of core introductory science courses within learning communities, we have seen significant growth in the number of students who elect to major in chemistry. These data are displayed in Figure 1 and include the number of both male and female graduates from 1996 until 2009 (data for 2009 are projections based upon the number of declared majors). Figure 1 illustrates that the number of students graduating with majors in chemistry has significantly increased since the implementation of the Wagner Plan, χ2 (1, N = 98) = 41.80, p < 0.0001. The number of men graduating with majors in chemistry has increased slightly since the implementation of the Wagner Plan, and the number of women graduating with majors in chemistry has increased even more dramatically, χ2 (1, N = 64) = 39.06, p < 0.0001. Ten men graduated with majors in chemistry in the eight years immediately prior to the implementation of the Wagner Plan; 21 men will graduate with majors in chemistry in the first eight years of the Wagner Plan. Seven women graduated

pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc

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r 2009 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

In the Classroom

Figure 1. Distribution of chemistry majors by gender and year of graduation. Table 1. Chemistry Majors' Survey Responses about Factors Influencing Choice of Majora Year of Graduation Potential Contributing Factors

2007 (N = 12)

2008 (N = 10)

2009 (N = 16)

Overall (N = 38)

Interest in the discipline/field

1.5

2.1

1.3

1.6

First-year chemistry experience

1.8

1.5

2.3

1.9

Reputation of the chemistry department

1.8

2.0

2.4

2.1

Research opportunities

2.7

1.8

2.1

2.2

Quality of instruction

1.5

1.4

1.4

1.4

Job/career opportunities

1.4

2.3

1.1

1.6

High school experiences

2.2

3.6

3.4

3.1

a

Note: A five-point scale for responses was used in which 1 represents “most important”; 2, “very important”; 3, “important”; 4, “somewhat important”; and 5, “not important”.

with majors in chemistry in the eight years immediately prior to the implementation of the Wagner Plan; 57 women will graduate with majors in chemistry in the first eight years of the Wagner Plan. Thus, there appears to have been a reduction of the barriers that traditionally prevented women from selecting chemistry as a major at Wagner College. Currently, 52% of chemistry graduates nationally are women (3). In the 12 years before the Wagner Plan was implemented, approximately 35% of the graduates were female. Since that time, the number has risen to 70%. The statistically significant growth in the chemistry major overall and specifically female chemistry majors coincides with the implementation of the College's Wagner Plan. The supportive environments which can be created in a learning community setting more easily than in a traditional lecture course may be helping to attract female Wagner students to the chemistry major. In their second year at Wagner College, chemistry majors may participate in an intermediate learning community which links two courses required for the major, organic chemistry and speech, a general education requirement. The following year, they enroll in a senior learning community that includes two core courses within the discipline and an additional experiential component. The two courses, a senior capstone course (an advanced chemistry course) and the senior reflective tutorial, provide an opportunity for chemistry majors to study advanced coursework while emphasizing literature comprehension,


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scientific writing, and presentation skills. All chemistry majors are also required to perform at least 100 h of experiential work through participation in a chemistry research project. This is usually started in the summer between the junior and senior years. In the senior year reflective tutorial, students write a scientific review article and a research paper related to their experiential work. Students also practice their presentation skills through both oral and poster presentations. Through their participation in both the intermediate and senior learning communities, students become prepared for future careers in chemistry. Although the increased number of chemistry majors does coincide with the implementation of the Wagner Plan and the use of learning communities, the authors do acknowledge that many other factors could influence student decisions. Other factors may also have played a role including interest in the discipline, career opportunities, quality of instruction, reputation of the department, research opportunities, and high school experiences. The overall composition of each class may have changed over time as well. The current chemistry majors were surveyed to determine what factors contributed to their selection of chemistry as a major (Table 1). Each filled out an evaluation form that asked them to rate potential factors through a Likert scale and series of short answer questions. The results indicated that most students had positive experiences in their first-year learning communities. From the 2007 graduating class, seven of the nine students who took


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In the Classroom

Figure 2. Number of Wagner College chemistry majors in comparison to the average number of chemistry majors at ANAC schools in the period 1996-2006.

general chemistry in their first-year learning community felt that their first-year learning community influenced their decision to select chemistry as their major. On average, the students rated the quality of instruction, interest in the discipline, the first-year chemistry experience, the reputation of the chemistry department, and research opportunities as very important contributing factors to their selection of the chemistry major. The written responses indicated that the majority of students linked their choice of chemistry to their first year learning community experiences. However, students did indicate in this survey that the other factors also contributed to their selection including aptitude. The results of this survey were compared to earlier published data in this Journal that indicated that aptitude, interest in laboratory work, importance of the discipline, and inspiring high school science teachers were the significant contributors to the decision for students at colleges and universities throughout New England whose programs did not include science learning communities in their curriculum (17). The Wagner chemistry students surveyed placed an importance on several of these contributors but also had very positive comments related to their first-year learning communities. The authors also acknowledge that other socioeconomic and aptitude-related changes to the overall composition of each graduating class could potentially affect the size of a major. Although we cannot rule out these external factors, we do see a significant increase in the number of chemistry majors in comparison to the average numbers observed at the Associated New American Colleges (ANAC) (18), a consortium of colleges and universities similar to Wagner in size and overall goals which include a liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement (Figure 2). Only one other school within ANAC observed significant growth within the major over the same time period, and Wagner College observed the most significant increase. In addition, assessment data suggests a strong correlation between students' learning community and selection of chemistry as a major. The overall undergraduate population has not significantly changed over the time period considered, so the increase in chemistry is not due to a change in overall population and instead Wagner students are showing an increased interest. The general career interests of Wagner chemistry majors have not changed over the time period as well. For example, 52


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before the Wagner Plan was implemented, approximately onethird of the graduating chemistry majors attended graduate school, one-third applied for industrial jobs, and the remaining one-third applied to professional health-related programs. Since the implementation of the Wagner Plan, this ratio has remained similar. We have not observed an increased interest in a specific area such as health-related fields (e.g., Pharm. D. programs) that other institutions may have seen. Wagner College has several tracks that chemistry majors can elect to choose; chemistry major, chemistry major (ACS certified). Of these options, the number of Wagner undergraduates selecting the general chemistry major and the chemistry major (ACS certified) has been steadily increasing since 2000. Students may also elect to have a concentration in a specific area (biochemistry concentration, chemical physics concentration or no concentration). These three options generally only differ in the selection of the students' two elective courses. We have not been able to establish a general overall trend in comparing interest in all of the various options within the major, but we have observed an increase in both the chemistry major (no concentration) and the chemistry major (biochemistry concentration). The increase also corresponds with the implementation of the Wagner Plan and lends further support to the use of learning communities as a factor that has influenced the major as most of the first-year learning communities have included themes surrounding health and biological applications of chemistry. Conclusions Evidence suggests that learning communities can be used effectively to foster an interest in the sciences at small liberal arts colleges. Although designed for a small liberal arts college, the program described could potentially be incorporated into a larger university setting, where the reflective tutorial can be taught by two graduate teaching assistants from different disciplines or a third faculty member. Through the use of inquiry-based and service-based learning in small, interdisciplinary groups, colleges can actively engage students in new ways. Learning communities may be used to foster an interest in scientific disciplines. A threecourse model for learning communities provides the benefits of this innovation in learning without any compromise to essential material in core science courses, allowing students full exposure to science within a supportive atmosphere. Acknowledgment The authors thank Wagner College for providing the Wagner Plan to enhance interdisciplinary learning on campus. We also thank Amy Eshleman for providing a statistical analysis of our data. Literature Cited 1. Andrade, M. S. J. Coll. Stud. Retent. 2007, 9, 1–20. 2. Lifton, D.; Cohen, A.; Schlesinger, W. J. Coll. Stud. Retent. 2007, 9, 113–125. 3. Smith, B. L. Academe 2003, 89, 14–18. 4. Abelson, P. H. Science 1997, 227, 747. 5. Guarasci, R., Cornwell, G. H. Democratic Education in an Age of Difference: Redefining Citizenship in Higher Education, 1st ed.; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, 1997.


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In the Classroom 6. Bringle, R. G.; Hatcher, J. A. J. High. Educ. 1996, 67, 221–239. 7. Collison, M. Chron. High. Educ 1993, 40, A18. 8. National Learning Communities Directory. http://learningcommons. evergreen.edu/ (accessed Oct 2009). 9. Turner, R. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 717–719. 10. Judd, C. S. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 808–809. 11. Glaser, R. E.; Poole, M. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1999, 76, 699–703. 12. Wang, M. R.; Bishop, A. Offering Introductory Chemistry in a Learning Community versus a Stand-alone Course: Gains, Losses, and Extras. In CONFCHEM Conference: Meeting the Challenges of Teaching Chemistry for General Education Students; SeptemberOctober 2007.


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13. National Science Board. Science and Engineering Indicators2008; National Science Foundation: Washington, DC, 2008. 14. Middlecamp, C. H.; Shachter, A. M.; Lottridge, S.; Oates, K. K. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83, 1301–1307. 15. Almeida, C. A.; Liotta, L. J. J. Chem. Educ. 2005, 82, 1794–1798. 16. The Wagner Plan. http://www.wagner.edu/wagner_plan/ (accessed Oct 2009). 17. George, B.; Wystrach, V. P.; Perkins, R. J. Chem. Educ. 1985, 62, 501–503. 18. Associated New American Colleges. http://www.anac.org/ (accessed Oct 2009).


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Efficacy of Using Learning Communities To Improve Core Chemistry

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